Flexible ball-joint.



G. J MELLIN. FLEXIBLE BALL JOINT. vAPPLICATION HLBD 00T. 6,1904.

908,414. Patented Dec. 29, 1908.

Z, 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES:

G. J. MBLLIN.

FLEXIBLE BALL JOINT.

APPLIGATION PILED.00T. 6,1904.

' Patented 1m29, 190s.

Z C l v? 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR `ATTORN Y and a resident following is a Yidly located gland by which the ball is held CARL'J. MELLIN, OF SCHENECTADY,

NEWYORK, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN LOCOMOTIVE COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

FLELE BALL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 29, 1908.

Application filed October 6, 1909:. Serial No. 227,345.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, CARL J. MELLIN, a citizen of the United Sta-tes of America, of Schenectady, county of Schenectady, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improve-4 ments in Flexible Ball-Joints, of which the specification.

My mvention relates to flexible pipe joints and has, for its object to provide simple and reliable constructions for single or multiple passages, whereby the joint can be packed and the wear can be taken up, as a cylindrical pipe joint, without disturbing the rigin place 1n its casing, as hereinafter described reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which Figure l, is a longitudinal section improved pipe joint. Fig. 2, is a. transverse section on line 2`2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3, is a longitudinal section showing a slight modification. Fig. 4, is a. longitudinal section showin another modification. Fig. 5, is a detail 1n longitudinal section showing another modification. Fig. 6, is a central longitudinal section on line 6-6 of Fig. 8,

of my showing a modified arrangement for actuating the packing compressing ring or follower. Fig. 7, is a central longitudinal section on line 7--7V of Fig. 8 illustrative of said modification of Fig. 6. Fig. 8, is a front elevation of the modifications represented in Figs. 6 and 7.

The ball receiving case a is fitted for reception of a gland b preferably with a distance piece c between the flanges of said case and gland, but washers or thimbles c may used, said dist-ance piece, washers or thimbles being prepared as to thickness in advance of the assembling of the parts to secure the ball d without.' jamming at le when the gland is screwed home. and the wear of the ball and gland will be taken np when needed by thinning od the said distance piece, washers or thimbles, but the gland may be applied without such distance pieces. IThe land being fitted to be rigidly adjusted to p ace is not otherwise adjustable without being first removed and retted.

Within the gland b is a follower o'r compression ring e with which adjusting screws as f, or other equivalent mea-ns, are provided passages through the for taking up the wear of packing from time to time, said packing surrounding the ball between the follower and the bottom bearing ring m and .said packing consisting of fibrous material g, or metallic or hard brous rings it with, in the latter case, a middle ring z' of diamond shaped cross-section to spread the others, and preferably with abeveled faced bottom ring 7c for the same purpose, but the packing may be of any approved kind and form. The follower emay have any suitable form of cross-section of the side bearing against the packing with corresponding shape of the packing rings, when they are of metallic construction. For packing against the end of the ball I provide a Vulcabeston ring m of hard fiber or other suitable material to pack steam-tight against said ball and preferably against a shoulder 'n of the pipe with or without an intervening packing, but the shoulder may be omitted and the ring m may be backed by the ordinary stuffing box packing 0.

P represents a fragment of any pipe or tube which may be either stationary or movable and in connection with which the ball is designed to operate.

A bottom packing ring on. may be used in the ball case and in such cases the packing of the neck of the case by the ring m may be omitted as in Figs. 8-7 inclusive.

The gland Z) may be bolted on the ball receiving case in the usual manner as in Figs. l and Q or it may be screw-threaded on the outside of the ball case as b with or without a check-nut e as in Fig. 3, or it may be screw-threaded inside as at b2 Fig. 5.

ln Figs. l and 2 l represent a pipe with two passages l which may be useful in some cases, and to which the invent-ion is alike applicable.

By truncating the flange of the follower e as at 2 to provide clearance for the gland adjustin bolts 3, and also trimcating the flange of gland 7) as at i for clearance of the follower adjusting bolts, the bolts for both the follower and the gland may be set in the case flanges.

What l claim as my invention is l. ln a flexible ball joint, the combination with the ball case, of the ball having its inner and outer bearings and a plurality of ball and the neck with against the ball.

3. In a flexible ball joint the combination of a ball, a ball casing, a gland, an inner bearing for the ball integral with the casing, an outer bearing for the ball integral with the gland, a distance piece between the casing and the gland, packing for said ball, a compression ring for said packing and means independent of said distance piece for adjusting said ring.

,4. In a flexible ball joint, the combination of' a ball, a casing for the ball, a gland fitting in said casing an inner bearing for the ball integral with said casing, an outer bearing for the ball integral with said gland,`

packing for said ball, a compression ring for said packing and a distance piece between said casing and said gland.

5. In a flexible ball joint the combination of a ball, a casing for the ball, a gland fitting in said casing, an inner baaring for the ball integral with said casing, an outer bearing for the ball integral with said gland, means separate from said casing and said land for preventing said bearings from jamming said ball, packing for the ball, and a compression ring for said packing.

6. In a flexible ball joint the combination of a ball, a casing for theball, a gland fttin in said casing, an inner bearing for the bal integral with said casing, an outer bearing for the ball integral with said gland, means separate from said casing and said gland for preventing said bearings from jamming said ball, packing for the ball, and a compression ring for said packing adjustable independently of said gland.

7. In a flexible ball joint, the combination of a ball, a casing for the ball, a gland tting in said casing, an inner bearing for the ball integral with said casing, an outer bearing for the ball integral with said gland, a distance piece between said casing and said gland to prevent said bearings from jamming the ball, packing for the ball between said casing and said gland, and a compression ring for said packing.

8. In a flexible ball joint, the combination of a ball, a casing for the ball, a gland litting in said casing, an inner bearing for the bal integral with said casing, an outer bearing for the ball integral with said distance piece between said casin gland to prevent said bearings gland, a and said om jamand inl ming the ball, packing for the ball between said casing and said gland, and a compression ring for said packing surrounding said gland and adjustable independently ofsaid gland.

9. In a flexible ball joint, the combination of a ball provided with a passage therethrough, a casing for the ball, a gland, an inner bearing for the ball integral with the casing, an outer bearing for the ball inte,- gral with the gland, a pipe connected to said casing and communicating with said passage and packing surrounding said pipe and bearing against said ball.

10. In a flexible ball joint, the combination of a ball provided with a passage therethrough, a casing for the ball, a gland fitting in said casing, an inner bearing for the ball integral with the casing, an outer bearing 'for the ball integral with the gland, a pipe connected to said casing and communicating with said passage and packing surrounding said pipe and bearing against said ball.

ll. vIn a flexible ball joint, the combination of a ball provided with a passage therethrough, a casing for the ball, a gland upon one side of said casing, a pipe connected to the other side of said casing and communieating with said passage, packing between said casing and said gland, and packing surilgoilinding said pipe and bearing against said l2. In a flexible ball joint, the combination of a ball provided with a passage therethrough, a casing for the ball, a gland upon one side or' said casing and fitting in said casing, a pipe connected to the other side of said casing and communicating with said passage, packing between said caslng and said gland, and packing surrounding said pipe and bearing against said ball.

13. In a flexible ball joint, the combination of a ball provided with a plurality of passages therethrough, a casing for the ball having a plurality of openings communicating with said passages, a gland on one side of said casing, and packing between said openings and said gland.

14. In a liexible ball joint, the combination of a ball provided with a yplurality of passages therethrough, a casing for the ball having a plurality of openings communicating with said pamages, a gland on one side of said casing, vand packing between said openings and said gland, a pipe connected to said casing in one of said openings and packing surrounding said pipe and bearing against said ball.

1.5. In a flexible ball joint, the combination of a ball having a plurality of passages therethrough, a casing for said ball having a plurality of openings communicating with said passages respectively, a pipe in one of said openings and packing surrounding said pipe.

416. In a exible ball joint, the combina- Signed at New York this'26th day of Seption of a ball having a plurality of passages tember, 1904. therethrough, a casing' for said ball having l T a plurality of openings communicating' with CARL J MELLD* 5 said passages respectively, a pipe in one of Witnesses:

said openings and packing surrounding said C. SEDGWICK,

pipe and'bearin'g against said ball. J. M. HOWARD.4 

